Alexander’s POV

The study was silent.

Several documents lay spread across my desk.

Reports.

Investment proposals.

Business updates.

Normally, I could finish reviewing them in less than an hour.

Today, I couldn’t focus on a single word.

My thoughts kept drifting back to the scene downstairs.

Aiden sitting beside Alicia.

Peeling an apple for her.

Making her laugh.

Making her smile.

A genuine smile.

The kind I hadn’t seen in days.

The lifelessness that had haunted her eyes ever since Nana’s death had eased, if only slightly.

I had spent days trying to pull her out of that darkness.

Days trying to make her eat.

Trying to talk to her.

Trying to comfort her.

Yet none of it had worked.

Aiden had managed to do it in less than an hour.

I leaned back against the chair and closed my eyes.

A bitter feeling settled in my chest.

It wasn’t that I disliked Aiden.

And it’s not like I liked him too.

But I was grateful he had helped Alicia.

But seeing her open up to someone else so easily while shutting me out still hurt.

More than I wanted to admit.

She laughed with him.

Talked with him.

Listened to him.

Yet whenever she looked at me, all I saw was distance.

Mistrust.

Pain.

My fingers tightened around the pen in my hand.

Was this how things were going to be from now on?

Was this the kind of family our child would be born into?

A family built on misunderstandings.

A marriage without trust.

The thought alone made my chest ache.

I knew I had to fix this.

After all, I was the one who created this mess in the first place.

If anyone was going to put things back together—

It had to be me.

But how?

I exhaled heavily and rubbed my temples.

My thoughts drifted back to the conversation Alicia had with Uncle Steve at the hospital.

I hadn’t heard everything.

But I had heard enough.

Especially the part about Lilian.

Alicia had said Lilian called her.

That call had only worsened her guilt.

My expression darkened.

My men had been searching nonstop.

Every lead ended in a dead end.

Yet somehow Lilian had managed to contact Alicia directly.

Which meant one thing.

She wasn’t acting alone.

Someone was helping her.

Someone was hiding her.

A familiar face suddenly surfaced in my mind.

My gaze sharpened.

Could she really be foolish enough to return to the man responsible for her kidnapping and assault all those years ago?

The possibility sounded absurd.

But after everything that had happened recently, I couldn’t afford to dismiss anything.

Not anymore.

Slowly, I picked up my phone.

I needed to investigate further.

Third Person POV

The headquarters of Echelon Industries was in complete chaos.

Ever since Blackwood Dominion Enterprises announced the termination of all cooperation with them, the company’s situation had worsened by the day.

Stocks continued to plummet.

Investors were withdrawing.

Several clients had already begun reconsidering their contracts.

In an attempt to stabilize public opinion, Echelon Industries organized a press conference.

The event was scheduled to begin at ten o’clock.

By nine-forty, the conference hall was already packed.

Reporters from every major news outlet had gathered, cameras flashing continuously as they waited for the company’s CEO to appear.

Backstage, Daniel Caldwell adjusted his tie.

For perhaps the first time in years, he felt genuinely nervous.

His assistant stood nearby, unable to hide the worry on his face.

"Sir... are you sure about this?"

Daniel glanced at him coldly.

"Do you have a better solution?"

The assistant immediately fell silent.

In truth, there wasn’t one.

Remaining silent would only make things worse.

At least appearing before the public would buy them some time.

Daniel straightened his suit.

"Keep contacting the remaining clients."

"Try to convince them not to withdraw."

"Understood, sir."

A few moments later, Daniel stepped onto the stage.

The flashing lights became even more intense.

Maintaining a composed expression, he delivered his prepared statement.

He spoke about misunderstandings.

About ongoing investigations.

About Echelon Industries’ commitment to quality.

The moment he finished, countless hands shot into the air.

The moderator barely had time to speak before the reporters began firing questions.

"CEO Caldwell, is it true your company supplied substandard materials to Blackwood Dominion Enterprises?"

"Mr. Caldwell, were you involved in the replacement of Blackwood Dominion’s former CEO?"

"Is there any truth to the allegations that Echelon Industries played a role in the recent scandals surrounding Blackwood Dominion?"

"How do you intend to compensate affected clients?"

"Are the rumors about financial misconduct true?"

Questions came one after another.

The atmosphere became increasingly tense.

Daniel maintained a calm expression, but beneath the table, his fingers slowly tightened.

"One question at a time."

His assistant quickly stepped forward, trying to regain control of the situation.

But the reporters only became more aggressive.

After all, Daniel’s repeated silence was beginning to look like guilt.

The hall erupted into chaos once more.

Then suddenly—

The doors opened.

Several uniformed police officers entered.

At first, nobody paid attention.

The reporters remained focused on Daniel.

But as the officers walked directly toward the stage, the room gradually fell silent.

Daniel’s heartbeat skipped.

A strange sense of unease settled in his chest.

The lead officer stepped forward.

"Mr. Daniel Caldwell."

"You will need to come with us for questioning."

The entire hall exploded.

Camera flashes became even more frantic.

Daniel’s expression finally changed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

The officer handed him a document.

"Please review this."

Daniel took the warrant.

The moment his eyes scanned the contents, his face stiffened.

Corporate fraud.

Evidence tampering.

Conspiracy.

Financial misconduct.

Illegal business practices.

His grip tightened.

Then his gaze stopped on one particular charge.

Kidnapping.

His pupils contracted sharply.

For the first time, genuine panic flashed across his eyes.

Three years ago.

That incident had been buried.

No.

It should have remained buried.

How had they found it?

His mind immediately went to one person.

Tristin.

But even Tristin shouldn’t have been able to uncover everything.

Unless...

Alexander was involved too.

A cold chill crawled down his spine.

At that moment, Daniel finally understood.

This wasn’t a warning.

It wasn’t pressure.

Someone had already decided to destroy him completely.

The reporters surged forward.

"CEO Caldwell!"

"Are these charges true?"

"Did you really commit these crimes?"

"What’s your response?"

Questions bombarded him from every direction.

But Daniel couldn’t hear them anymore.

The officer stepped forward and placed handcuffs around his wrists.

The metallic click echoed throughout the hall.

His assistant stood frozen.

The legal department was already being contacted.

The reporters were taking photos nonstop.

The scene instantly became breaking news.

Daniel remained standing there silently.

Not because he wasn’t afraid.

But because he finally realized something.

The moment those handcuffs closed around his wrists...

Everything was over.

His company.

His reputation.

His influence.

The empire he had spent years building was collapsing before his eyes.

And this time,

There was nothing he could do to stop it.